Funny how things change my attitude and perspective. I intended to write about the benefits of fall weather, how beautiful the changes, the welcoming of coolness, etc. when one MORE hurricane was predicted to come our way. When I looked at the news the little swirling circle showing the path of the hurricane was right over my house.  I know.  I know. Some of you saw it as a time to have a Hurricane Party but that’s not my style.

Maybe I should lighten up but once you are traumatized it is difficult to forget what weather can do. One of my students lost her house in the last hurricane. Another is still sandbagging when I talked to her yesterday. A friend’s sister barely escaped a fire with a handful of clothes. Five neighbors perished. I/we have a lot to be grateful for.

But today, I decided to shift focus from scarcity to gratefulness. Like Oprah, I made a gratitude list in my journal this morning. I have enough: air to breathe, life to live, food, shelter, water, love, and friends. I am blessed. I hope you will do the same and feel how good gratefulness feels. There’s always something we can do to feel better if it’s nothing more than chewing gum. Sing a song. Remember I wrote a series all around “This little Light of Mine” earlier this year? Now is a good time to sing it again.

For a visual of how to change perspective, check out Nicole’s pictures on the right! For those of you who may not know her, Nicole is my virtual assistant. These photos are of a beach she visited in Michigan at the end of August. One would no picture this loveliness when you think of Michigan, but there it was. People who saw these pictures thought it was a tropical island.

Other than sharing the loveliness of these photos, the point is that you never know what you’ll find if you look locally. There are tons of wonderful places to visit right in your own backyard. If you’ve been cooped up due to Covid and are feeling restless, do a quick Google search on things around you that you are interested in. You may be able to find something very interesting without going to far at all.

And be grateful for the small blessings in your life because we aren’t promised another day with our loved ones, another chance to do something, or another opportunity to seize the day.